Tension with China Hits Korean Impresarios' Pockets2016/09/13, Source,
Korea's leading showbiz tycoons have lost a lot of money as the fortunes of the stars in their stable suffered from tensions between Korea and China over the regional arms race.
According to corporate tracker Chaebul.com on Sunday, 18 Korean showbiz figures who own more than W100 million worth of stocks saw the appraised value of their equity holdings plunge 32.9 percent this year to W408.1 billion last week (US$1=W1,102),...More

[HanCinema's Korea Diaries] "Chuncheon" July 7th-9th2016/07/29, The Robot Studio is an annex to the Chuncheon Animation Museum, which I personally thought to be rather more informative. Though neither have histories written out in English, the history detailed at the Chuncheon Animation Museum mostly just deals with American animators whose stories I'd already heard before. Whereas the Robot Studio discusses lesser well known Japanese pop culture icons, like Tetsujin 28, aka Gigantor, asisstant to boy detective Shotaro, aka Jimmy. The American name changes were to help preserve the illusion that American invented all pop culture, everywhere,...More

"Winter Sonata 2" starts filming soon?2016/07/13, Source,
There have been reports that the making of "Winter Sonata 2" has begun, but the production company claims there hasn't been any progress.
Pan Entertainment told Star Today that there haven't been any specific plans regarding the making of "Winter Sonata 2" and that the report about it beginning later this year isn't true,...More

90s Star Yang Soo-kyung Makes Comeback2016/07/09, Source,
Yang Soo-kyung is returning to showbiz after nearly two decades of absence. Yang, who was enormously popular in the 90s, is taking advantage of the current nostalgia wave to release a mini album which contains four songs including remakes on Saturday,...More

Bae Yong-joon and Park Soo-jin's wedding revealed2015/08/02, Source, Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon and actress Park Soo-jin wanted a 'quiet wedding' but reality is the opposite as they are quite the celebrity. Their wedding was exposed by media and distortion is ruining their beautiful memory.
Bae Yong-joon and Park Soo-jin got married at the Sheraton Grand Walker Hill Ashton House on the 27th of July. They skipped the official press conference and photo wall and only focused on the wedding. They were sure about having a wedding of their own and not for anyone else,...More

Bae Yong-joon couple's honeymoon resort worth 7.5 billion won2015/07/16, Source, Bae Yong-joon and Park Soo-jin have their wedding coming up this 27th and they are spending their honeymoon not overseas, but at a luxury resort in the south. It's called the South Cape Spa and Suites.
They will be staying there until the 3rd next month. South Cape was assigned to be the best golf resort in 2 years since it was built and it has become a 'must-go' for most foreign celebrities and VIP's who visit Korea. It's become 'the best course in Korea' in several golf magazines too,...More

Bae Yong-joon and Park Soo-jin, why the rush?2015/05/17, Source, Bae Yong-joon proposed to Park Soo-jin on the 100th day of their relationship and they are getting married. They started seeing each other this February and he proposed to her on the 100th day. They even met each others' families.
The two of them knew each other from work and started having feelings for each other since February this year. Bae Yong-joon was attracted to Park Soo-jin's bright personality and consideration and she was attracted to his warmth and caring heart,...More

'Winter Sonata 2' synopsis to unveil next month2015/04/15, Source,
'Winter Sonata 2' is being planned. Its synopsis will come out next month.
A staff from the production company of "Winter Sonata", PAN Entertainment said on April 14th during the phone conversation with OSEN, "'Winter Sonata 2' is being planned. Producer Yoon Seok-ho will be responsible for the overall production and writers Yoon Eun-kyeong and Kim Eun-hee, who wrote the previous sequel, are in charge of the screenplay again. Director has not been decided yet. The first draft of the synopsis will be out next month",...More

Bae Yong-joon Spotted at Masters2015/04/10, Source,
Bae Sang-moon walks to a green with Bae Yong-joon (left) during the Par 3 Contest prior to the start of the 2015 Masters Tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on Wednesday. /Getty Images
Actor Bae Yong-joon was spotted as a caddy for golfer Bae Sang-moon on the eve of the Masters in Augusta, Georgia,...More

[HanCinema's Film Review] "Untold Scandal"2014/09/19,
It's extremely tempting to view the crazy sumptuous games at play in "Untold Scandal" here as some sort of commentary on repressed Joseon sexuality. Director Lee Jae-yong certainly has enough fun with it from a cinematographic point of view. The sex is is hot and sensuous. If you're going into this movie expecting Bae Yong-joon to have lots of erotic fun times with many ample bosoms on display, you will not be disappointed. The film is exactly as advertised,...More

When are Bae Yong-joon, Won Bin and Lee Young-ae coming back?2014/07/15, Source,
When can we see them?
Several writers and directors have been sending their calls of love but the actors remain silent. Top stars who are highly wanted have been gone for far too long. Lee Young-ae is one of them. They have been gone for a maximum of 9 years, enough for a mountain to change its form. They are on the top of the list but they are hard to see and now it's becoming frustrating,...More

Kim Soo-hyeon-I, Lee Min-ho, Kim Woo-bin and Lee Jong-suk's shift in generations 2014/02/12, Source,
A shift is quickly occurring amongst Hallyu Stars.
Actors Kim Soo-hyeon-I, Lee Min-ho, Kim Woo-bin and Lee Jong-suk are the four top Hallyu actors and they have been evolving at a rapid rate. They are leading the shift in generation from the primary Hallyu generation, which would be Bae Yong-joon and others. These new Hallyu stars have been expanding their fan population like LTE, which make them global stars because of their limitless boundaries between international and domestic fans.
A person in the media claims, "Unlike the Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-woo generation, the newer Hallyu stars have been appealing to the world with a more friendly approach in various works. They have been able to expand their fan base with real time VOD and development of technology and the Internet, as well as SNS services",...More

Bae Yong-joon's Girlfriend Is LS Group Scion2013/12/26, Source, Bae Yong-joon, the most-popular icon of the Korean Wave among middle-aged women overseas, is dating a scion of the LS business conglomerate. His girlfriend, who is 14 years his junior, is Koo So-hee, the second daughter of LS Industrial Systems vice chairman Koo Ja-kyun. The two met around three months ago on a blind date arranged by a mutual friend and their relationship became public when the couple were spotted in Japan,...More

Bae Yong-joon Still Adored by Japanese for 'Winter Sonata'2013/10/21, Source,
Fans cheer as Bae Yong-joon appears on the stage during a Korean entertainment awards ceremony in Chiba, Japan on Saturday.
Japanese women young and old flocked to a Korean entertainment awards ceremony in Chiba on Saturday despite the current wave of anti-Korean sentiment in the country. Early in the afternoon, teenagers sporting miniskirts and stickers pasted on their faces were seen pouring out of nearby subway stations en route to the Makuhari Messe convention center to catch glimpses of their favorite stars,...More

Chinese embrace `Gangnam Style,` Japanese kept in the dark2012/10/06, Source,
Rapper Psy`s global smash "Gangnam Style" has belatedly swept across China. The song, however, received a frosty response from Japan due to a bilateral diplomatic conflict with Korea.
When the song went viral across the globe, Chinese netizens remained lukewarm on the hit. Things began to change over the Golden Week Holidays (Oct. 1-8), however, and Chinese finally began responding with explosive enthusiasm,...More

Hallyu dramas to be used for overseas language education2012/09/08, Source,
From next month, foreigners will be able to more easily learn the Korean language through a television lecture program in which scenes from popular TV programs, including "Winter Sonata", will be used as teaching materials, the culture ministry said Monday. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said it will develop a new TV language lecture program jointly with national broadcaster KBS, using footage from local TV dramas and music programs highly popular among foreigners as basic materials,...More

Park Jin-young's birthday 'cake'2012/08/30, Source,
Singer Park Jin-young sent Bae Yong-joon a birthday message.
He posted on his Me Today, "Today's Yonsama's birthday!" In one hand he's holding a bread-shaped like Yonsama and the other hand is holding a fist towards it with his face scrunched up. Netizens say, "I can see he's serious", "He's got so many friends" and more,...More

Korean Stars in Japan in Bind Over Dokdo2012/08/27, Source, Kara (left) and Song Il-gook
Korean Wave stars who are popular in Japan find themselves in a fiendish dilemma as tensions rise between Seoul and Tokyo over Dokdo. A case in point is comments by Japan's Vice Foreign Minister Yamaguchi Tsuyoshi about actor Song Il-gook, who took part in a relay swim to Dokdo on Aug. 15, which marks Korea's independence from Japanese colonial occupation. "Unfortunately, it will not be easy for him to come to Japan from now on", Tsuyoshi said on a TV program on Friday,...More

Art and Culture2012/08/08, Source,
It's Wednesday and..you guessed it, it's celebrity news time with our Michelle Kim. But before we get into the latest celebrity updates, I hear she has information about an exhibition in London that she would like to tell us about first. Hello Michelle [Reporter : ] Hello Conn-young So what's happening in London,...More

'Hallyu' - Korean teaching tool2012/07/21, Source,
^K-pop fans stage a flash mob performance in London's Trafalgar Square, Tuesday. They are called "K-supporters", who are giving life to the "All Eyes on Korea" promotion ahead of the Summer Olympic Games. / Yonhap
Super Junior, 'Winter Sonata' as new primers By Jane Han NEW YORK ― For learners of Korean in the U.S., it's goodbye to rote memorization and dull drills; hello to Super Junior and Bae Yong-joon. A new curriculum is set to revamp the traditional teaching method of Korean, a much-needed update aimed at giving the language a more fun and practical appeal,...More

Japan fans pay tribute to late Park Yong-ha2012/06/27, Source,
The late Park Yong-ha
By Kwaak Je-yup Thousands of Japanese fans of the late entertainer Park Yong-ha marked the two-year anniversary of his death with memorials in Tokyo and Seoul. According to press reports, the temporary seven-day memorial set up until Tuesday drew nearly 8,000 visitors to its location at the Space Shower TV in the popular Shibuya neighborhood in the Japanese capital,...More

(37) 'Yonsama': Korean love god captures Japanese hearts2012/05/30, Source,
Actor Bae Yong-joon waves upon his arrival as Japanese fans gather at Tokyo International Airport in Narita on Nov. 25, 2004. Bae, a main actor of the mega-hit Korean soap opera "Winter Sonata", was on a promotion tour of Japan. / Korea Times file
Actor Bae Yong-joon leads 'hallyu' (Korea wave)
Some years ago, this writer climbed into a taxi in Seoul. As is commonly the case, the driver asked where I was from. On hearing "the United Kingdom" he responded, "Aha! Beckham!" Then, in excellent Konglish, he continued, "U.K. ― David Beckham! Korea ― Bae Yong-joon!",...More

"Hallyu", Korean wave, will not last 5 years2012/05/18, Source,
Top, Girls' Generation, a popular K-pop group, pose with actor and co-guest Bill Murray on "The Late Show with David Letterman" on January 31. / Bottom left, K-pop girl group T-ara take part in a photo shoot. / Bottom right, Lee Byung-hun poses for the cameras at a press launch for a TV drama.
"'Hallyu' will cool down in four years".
Six out of 10 foreigners believe the recent fad for Korean culture - K-pop, movies and TV dramas and soap operas - will decline over the next few years,...More

Kanryu Currents in Japan, Past and Present2012/03/11, Source,
Tokyo-based journalist, translator and filmmaker Jason GRAY examines the ebb and flow of the Korean Wave in Japan over the past ten years, pinpointing the highs and lows.
The Korean wave of popular culture in Japan, referred to as "kanryu" or "hanryu" in Japanese, has had an interesting ebb and flow over the past decade. There were earlier booms here including traditional Korean ballads ("enka") in the late 70s, the Seoul Olympics in 1988 and the South Korea-Japan co-hosted World Cup in 2002. Japanese cinema exhibitors saw their first genuine Korean smash with Kang Je-gyu's "Shiri" (2000), which earned JPY1.8 billion (US$22.1 million) - an impressive result to this day. As we'll see, KANG is unique in that he figures into pre, peak and post kanryu cinema,...More

South Korean actress Son Ye-Jin2012/02/25, Source,
South Korean actress Son Ye-jin appeares in front of the camera in a movie preview of "Love Fiction" held at Mega Box theater in Seoul's Samsung-dong on Feb. 20, 2012.
Son Ye-jin has taken on a variety of roles in her career to date, propelling her to fame both in Korea and in other Asian countries. She first appeared in a supporting role in Park Ki-hyung's film "Secret Tears" in 2000, and then went on to take the lead in TV dramas such as "A Delicious Proposal", "Sun-hee and Jin-hee", and "Daemang". Her first high-profile role in cinema was in Im Kwon-taek's "Strokes of fire", which screened at Cannes and took home a Best Director award in 2002,...More

English book on Korean TV dramas published2011/12/12, Source,
A new book on the development of Korean TV dramas has been published in English, the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) said Monday.
"K-DRAMA: A New TV Genre with Global Appeal" is a comprehensive guide to the past and present of Korean television dramas, which have been gaining popularity outside Korea as well, particularly since 2000.
The 114-page book covers a wide range of topics related to the genre,...More

Stars Strike Gold with Stakes in Their Own Companies2011/09/22, Source,
From left, Lee Soo-man, Yang Hyun-suk, Bae Yong-joon and Park Jin-young
The surging popularity of K-pop has sent shares of talent management companies through the roof, and this has generated huge wealth for the stars who own them.
According to Chaebul.com, a website that tracks the activities of business conglomerates, the wealthiest entertainer-turned-talent-manager was Lee Soo-man, owner and majority shareholder of SM Entertainment that manages Girls' Generation, Super Junior and other idol groups, whose stake in SM Entertainment is worth W165.7 billion (US$1=W1,151). The value of Lee's stake more than doubled this year due to the Korean Wave,...More

Why does Hallyu star Jang Geun-seok surpass Bae Yong-joon?2011/09/18, Source,
There is one star in particular who media from Japan and other countries visit when they come to Korea to cover news. That is Hallyu star Jang Geun-seok. The Japanese media spell out his daily life and documentary programs on him are being produced. His advertisement value in Japan is rising everyday.
The DVD rental number for "You're Beautiful" has exceeded "Winter Sonata", and other movies and dramas with Jang Geun-seok are getting massive responses. His fans are not the symbolic middle-aged class like typical Hallyu fans, but more of the younger 10~30s that lead the consumption of pop culture,...More

2PM to tour Japan in December2011/09/15, Source,
K-pop group 2PM
By Lee Hyo-won
K-pop group 2PM will give concerts across four Japanese cities in December.
The band will kick off the tour with concerts on Dec. 5 and 6 in Osaka-jo Hall, Osaka and will continue to give shows at Gaishi Hall, Nagoya, Dec. 8 and Saitama Super Arena on Dec. 14. The tour will wrap up at Marine Messe, Fukuoka, Dec. 17,...More

Kim Yu-na Dolls to Hit Market Next Year2011/09/14, Source,
Molded figurines of skating queen Kim Yu-na and actor Ryoo Si-won will be available on the domestic and export market next fall, according to Seoul. The municipal government has signed agreements with two firms to provide a subsidy of W150 million to manufacture the dolls (US$1=W1,077),...More

Job Ad by China's Foreign Ministry Shows Influence of Korean Wave2011/08/04, Source, A hiring notice appeared at 11:23 a.m. on Monday morning on Sina Weibo, a Chinese microblogging site similar to Twitter. It read, "Did you graduate from a four-year university? Are you adept at using office software? Do you have no problem communicating in English? Do you have a driver's license? Hu,...More

Remembering Park Yong-ha2011/06/27, Source,
To commemorate the first anniversary of the late actor Park Yong-ha's death, various memorial events are being held in Japan. / Korea Times file
Memorial wave for late hallyu star continues
By Chung Ah-young
Although the late hallyu star Park Yong-ha died a year ago, his popularity is not waning in Japan,...More

Annual Income ofBae Yong-joon Questioned2011/06/23, Source,
In 2005, Bae Yong-joon reported his income as 23.8 billion won.
How much does the Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon (39) earn annually? Bae Yong-joon has been known to be a wealthy actor from his stocks. The valuation of his stocks was estimated to be as much as 11.3 billion won as of last April, and his stock evaluation has been ranked in third place following the CEO of SM Entertainment, Lee Soo Man, and the CEO of YG Entertainment, Yang Hyun Seok,...More

Global Star Agency, United Asia Management2011/05/13, Source, by Lee Hwa-jung / May 06, 2011
This April, six major Korean talent management agencies joined forces to launch the Asian management agency, UAM (United Asia Management). With 'Hallyu' or better known as the 'Korean Wave' becoming a significant factor in Asia's Entertainment businesses such as KEYEAST, AM Entertainment, Star J Entertainment, SM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment all came together to create a joint investment corporation called "UAM", an international talent agency with the purpose of strengthening the foundations of 'Hallyu', promoting collaborative exchange and establishing an efficient casting system. The main operations will focus on overseeing the portrait rights of all talents managed by the six agencies and intellectual rights as well as establishing an efficient talent database,...More

﻿Mystery Deepens Over Seo Taiji's Secret Marriage to Lee Ji-ah2011/04/22, Source, Seo Taiji (left) and Lee Ji-ah
The actress Lee Ji-ah is suing music legend Seo Taiji for W500 million in alimony and half of his W5 billion fortune (US$1=W1,080). According to her lawsuit, the two secretly married in the U.S. and divorced later on. Lee claims they divorced in 2009, but Seo says they parted ways back in 2006.
The timing of the separation is at the center of controversy, since a person can claim for alimony up to three years after divorce. The reasons for the divorce and lawsuit remain unclear,...More

Korea's Top Agencies Combine Their Powers2011/04/08, Source, The largest and most successful Korean entertainment agencies representing some of the most well-known faces in Asia are coming together to form the United Asia Management (UAM).

Jeong admits dating Lee Ji-ah2011/03/21, Source,
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Actor Jeong Woo-seong, 37, admitted dating actress Lee Ji-ah, 30, who starred as his counterpart in the recent drama "ATHENA".
"I am having a good time with this new friend after filming the drama", Jeong wrote on his website on Sunday. He also admitted his love for Lee while meeting his fans on the same day. "Lee and I have things in common and I want people to wait and see our relationship", he said,...More

Hallyu Stars help Japan2011/03/21, Source, Today is the 11th day since a major earthquake hit Japan. And those who have survived can't seem to know how to start their lives again. What they need right now is encouragement and friendly support so that they can get back on their feet.

To support the United Nations World Food Program (WFP)'s recovery efforts in Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake and ensuing tsunami, actor,...More

Major Earthquake in Japan: 'No More Bad News'2011/03/15, Source,
People in the entertainment business have begun activities to help Japan while they have had to cancel their schedules in Japan.
As the massive quake that hit the northeast Japan caused heavy casualties, many people in the entertainment business including Hallyu stars are offering heartfelt condolences and consolation one after another. In addition, aid groups have begun activities to donate profits to the victims from the major earthquake by holding events such as the "Rock Festival", which will be held in front of the Hongik University. The host of the festival revealed that they would donate the entire profits from the event to the earthquake victims,...More

More celebrity donors rush to help Japan quake victims2011/03/15, Source,
Actor Song Seung-heon donated 200 million won for emergency relief in earthquake-stricken Japan. / Korea Times file
By Lee Hyo-won
An increasing number of local artists and cultural organizations, including "hallyu" celebrities and religious groups, are making donations to earthquake-struck Japan.
On Monday evening, actor Song Seung-heon, popular in the neighboring country through TV soaps, donated 200 million won for emergency relief to the Salvation Army Korea Territory, said the organization,...More

Park Yong-ha's Mother Releases Memoir of Her Son2011/03/11, Source,
The late actor and singer Park Yong-ha's mother has published a memoir about her son. Published through a contract with a Japanese publisher, Park's mother Oh Young-ran's 260-page book details the family's close relationships and love for Park, Japan's Sankei Sports reported,...More

Culture minister seeks advice on promoting Korea overseas2011/02/25, Source,
Experts from diverse cultural sectors as well as university and high school students discuss ways to better promote Korean culture overseas in an event organized by the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS), Wednesday, in Seoul. / Courtesy of KOCIS
By Lee Hyo-won
A high school student sharply pointed out to the minister of culture, sports and tourism that adolescent efforts to promote Korean culture overseas are often overlooked,...More

It was 2003, and Japanese viewers – by the droves – were enchanted with ",...More

Dreaming of "Dream High"2011/02/18, Source, Korean-Content.Com's Mark Russell Talks To JYP President Jimmy Jung
Jimmy Jung, president of JYP Entertainment, one of Korea's biggest music companies, had a dilemma – how could his company be successful making music when young people no longer buy music? After all, the Internet killed off physical music sales in Korea years ago, and the rest of the world since then. Endorsements and reality programs can only take you so far. The company needed something bigger,...More

Bae's documentary on Korea eyes bigger audience 2011/01/07, Source,
Stills from Bae Yongjoon's documentary on Korea are seen. / Courtesy of MBC Plus Media
By Uliana Park
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon's book "A Journey in Search of Korea's Beauty", which was a huge hit reflecting Korean culture and traditions, has been made into a documentary. The program will be aired on MBC LIFE starting Jan. 8, every Saturday at 11 p.m. for eight weeks,...More

[REVIEW] KBS TV series "Dream High" - 1st Episode2011/01/04, Source,
KBS series "Dream High" [KBS]KBS2 Monday & Tuesday 9:55 p.m.
KBS drama "Dream High" takes off at seven years from now, with singer "K", a graduate of Kirin Art School, appearing at the Grammy Awards ceremony. Chung Ha-myung (Bae Yong-joon), the director of Kirin High, reminisces on how all he did was strike a "break shot" (the first shot in billiards that scatters the balls). The problem with the first episode of "Dream High" was in those balls. The way Ko Hye-mi (played by Suzy), the so-called genius in vocal music, jeers at popular culture went beyond arrogance to make it seem forced and the scene where Jin-guk (Taecyeon) easily fights off the men who are after Hye-mi, several loan sharks including their boss (Ahn Kil-gang) who are after her father, or the overuse of slow motion was cliche enough to be seen in a scene of an online comic book,...More

[PREVIEW] KBS TV series "Dream High" 2010/12/28, Source,
Casts from KBS series "Dream High" : Starting from left JOO, Wooyoung, Eom Gi-joon, Taecyeon, Suzy, Kim Soo-hyeon-I, Ham Eun-jeong, Lee Yoon-ji, IU etc., [Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia
Co-produced by Bae Young-joon of KEYEAST and Park Jin-young of JYP Entertainment and starring members from idol groups 2PM, T-ara and miss A and female singer IU, it is obvious what KBS TV series "Dream High" wishes to be -- a drama which shows how the 'dream factory' really works along with the hardships young trainees go through to become a star, a drama about young people, and a drama where idols stars are the main characters. "Dream High" shows where it is headed to from the beginning with the story starting in the year 2018 with a man named 'K' from Korea sweeping the Grammy awards to become a world star and Jung Ha-myung (Bae Young-joon), the director of Kirin High School of Art, reminisces on the time when he himself was a freshman at the school,...More

Park Jin-young says "wants to make 'Dream High' a reality"2010/12/28, Source,
From left, Bae Yong-joon and Park Jin-young pose during the press conference for KBS' upcoming musical drama "Dream High" held at Ilsan Kintex in Gyeong-gi Province, South Korea on December 27, 2010. [Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]
Even though announcer Lee Ji-ae emphasized that both Bae Yong-joon and Park Jin-young were there as producers and not actors, it was no use. At the press conference for KBS' "Dream High" held at the Ilsan Kintex located in Gyeong-gi Province, a Japanese translator appeared for Bae Yong-joon's Japanese fans and 2PM and miss A's fans cheered for JYP Entertainment's founder and CEO Park Jin-young. The is how strong of an influence these two 'star creators' had combined. However, the title of 'producer' is something they were both uncomfortable with and they instead spoke of how the largest reward they have seen from working together was "meeting someone of the same age" and "with the same dream". Below are excerpts from the press conference,...More

Bae Yong-joon takes photo with 5,000 fans in Japan2010/12/16, Source,
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon [KEYEAST]
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon has taken his first picture for his new photograph project this week, according to his agency KEYEAST on Thursday.
KEYEAST announced in a press release that Bae, known for calling his fans his 'family', met with 5,000 fans to take his first 'family photograph' for the event titled "Family Photo Project - We're a family" on December 15,...More

Book on Korean Wave adopted as textbook for universities abroad2010/12/09, Source,
Cover of "Korean Masculinities and Transcultural Consumption:Yonsama, Rain, Old Boy, K-Pop Idols" [Hong Kong University Press]
A new book on the 'Hallyu', or Korean Wave, has been adopted as a textbook for universities abroad.
The English book titled "Korean Masculinities and Transcultural Consumption: Yonsama, Rain, Old Boy, K-Pop Idols" was selected as one of the main textbooks for the media classes at Goldsmiths, University of London in England and the University of Melbourne in Australia,...More

Bae Yong-joon photo essay to be published in English 2010/11/30, Source,
Cover of Bae's photo essay "A Journey in Search of Korea's Beauty" [KEYEASY]
The English version of top Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon's photo essay "A Journey in Search of Korea's Beauty" will go on sale next month, according to his agency KEYEAST on Tuesday.
"A Journey in Search of Korea's Beauty" will be published in English, going on sale in the United States in late December and then in Europe, starting with Germany, in January,...More

Bae Yong-joon Takes 'Family Photo' with Fans2010/11/29, Source,
Actor Bae Yong-joon's agency Keyeast said on November 26, "Hallyu star Bae Young Joon will take a 'family photo' with fans in Asian regions, and the fans who take a picture with him will be selected on a first-come basis. Bae Yong-joon, who has expressed his special love for his fans for a long time so much that he calls his fans 'family', has decided to take a family photo with fans. The project to take a family photo will begin in Korea and Japan and expand all around the Asian regions",...More

Bae Yong-joon starts new photograph project in Asia2010/11/26, Source,
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon [KEYEAST]
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon will begin a new photograph project throughout Asia, according to his agency KEYEAST on Friday.
KEYEAST announced in a press release that Bae, known for calling his fans his 'family', will begin an event titled "Family Photo Project-We're a family" where Bae will take 'family photos' with his fans, starting in Korea and into Japan and other countries in Asia,...More

Jang Geun-seok's Japanese fan meetings are always sold-out... Why?2010/11/19, Source, Jang Geun-seok is becoming new Hallyu star.
Jang Geun-seok will promote his lastest fan meeting in Japan tour that he started in early 2010. On the 26th and 27th, he will held two big fan meetings that which will be about 5000 people at the Pacifico Yokohama hall, Yokohama, Japan. Tickets for both meetings are sold out but the one held on the 27th will be on 30 screens Japan-wide via satellite. Using satellite for fan meetings is a very limited case for Hallyu star; only Bae Yong-joon and few other big stars could do such an event.,...More

2PM Wooyoung, miss A Suzy cast for "Dream High"2010/11/04, Source, 2PM member Wooyoung (left) and miss A Suzy (right) [JYP Entertainment]
2PM member Wooyoung and miss A's Suzy will both be making their acting debut in the upcoming KBS music TV series "Dream High", a highly anticipated co-production between top Korean entertainment firms JYP Entertainment (JYPE) and KEYEAST.
The show's promoter announced Thursday that Wooyoung has been cast for the role of Kevin, a skilled dancer from overseas, while Suzy will be playing the role of Ko Hye-mi, the prettiest girl at a performing arts school who dreams of becoming the next Jo Sumi (famed female soprano),...More

2PM Taecyeon cast in new KBS musical drama 2010/11/02, Source, 2PM member Taecyeon [JYP Entertainment]
K-pop idol Taecyeon will be showing off his acting skills once again, this time as one of the male leads in KBS' musical TV series "Dream High", a much-anticipated collaboration between Korea's top entertainment firms JYP Entertainment (JYPE) and KEYEAST.
JYPE announced in a press release Tuesday that Taecyeon has been cast as Jin-kook in the upcoming show, a skilled dancer that has been kicked out of a school for performing arts but transferred back by request from the chairman of the school,...More

Bae Yong-joon's book to be turned into documentary2010/10/26, Source,
Korean Wave star Bae Yong-joon [BOF Korea]
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon's photo essay "Discovering the Beauty of Korea" will be made into a television documentary.
KEYEAST announced in a press release Tuesday that the documentary will be created in cooperation with Korea Tourism Organization and the six main regions of Korea including Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province, North Gyeongsang Province, South Jeolla Province and South Chungcheong Province,...More

Jeon Ji-hyeon considering new movie role 2010/10/21, Source,
Korean actress Jeon Ji-hyeon [Asia Economic Daily]
Korean actress Jeon Ji-hyeon is considering a role in an upcoming movie by famed director Lee Jae-yong.
"Jeon is currently in talks to appear in a movie titled 'Falling in Love'," an official from her agency J&Co. Entertainment told Sports Today over the phone on Thursday, adding that the actress is looking at her role in a positive light but nothing has been confirmed as of yet with many adjustments having to be made,...More

Bae Yong-joon to hold photo session with fans in Japan 2010/10/19, Source,
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon [KEYEAST]
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon has invited his Japanese fans to a photo session in December.
According to a report in a Japanese newspaper today, Bae invited 600 fans to the official photograph session of the first of the "Miso Project" series titled "Message! to Asia" established by Japan's DATV (Digital Adventure TV), set to be held at the Tokyo Dome on December 14,...More

KEYEAST to 2011 eco-friendly calendar next month2010/09/28, Source,
Talents of KEYEAST for the 2011 eco calendar [KEYEAST]
Top Korean talenthouse KEYEAST will release an eco-friendly calendar featuring their stars, according to the agency on Tuesday.
KEYEAST announced in a press release that the calendar for the year 2011, including photographs and messages regarding the environment from KEYEAST stars such as Bae Yong-joon, Lee Na-young, Lee Ji-ah, Kim Hyun-joon and Choi Kang-hee, will go on sale in early October,...More

Buying beauty at a bargain price2010/09/23, Source,
Nature Republic most foreigner-friendly; Face Shop least; Skin Food in between
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia The streets of Seoul are filled with shops like The Face Shop, Missha, Etude House, Nature Republic, Skin Food and Innisfree. With a wide selection of cutely packaged makeup and skin care products at quite cheap prices, it is no surprise that many teenage girls and women flock to these so-called "bargain beauty’’ shops. Yet it is actually not easy to distinguish one shop from the other. All of them have adopted the same marketing concept: to sell skincare and cosmetics products at affordable prices with an ad campaign featuring Hallyu stars. Interestingly, more male stars are being featured in the ad campaigns to target young females and foreign fans of Korean stars. Nature Republic’s ads feature K-pop star Rain, while The Face Shop still uses actor Bae Yong-joon,...More

Bae Yong-joon photo essay to sell in China starting today2010/09/16, Source,
Cover to Chinese version of actor Bae Yong-joon's photo essay "Discovering the Beauty of Korea". [KEYEAST]
The Chinese version of top Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon's photo essay "Discovering the Beauty of Korea" will go on sale starting today, according to Bae's agency KEYEAST on Thursday.
The book, first released in a Korean and Japanese version last year, had also been published in Taiwanese just last week,...More

Bae Yong-joon's photo essay to sell in Taiwan 2010/09/07, Source,
Cover of actor Bae Yong-joon's photo essay "Discovering the Beauty of Korea". [KEYEAST]
Top Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon's photo essay "Discovering the Beauty of Korea", which has been sold in both Korea and Japan, will also go on the shelves of Taiwan.
Bae's agency KEYEAST announced through a press release on Tuesday that the Taiwanese version, completed after a year-long period of translation, will go on sale in the country starting today,...More

Kim Hyun-joong to release pictorial book on Sept 152010/09/06, Source,
Korean actor and singer Kim Hyun-joong on the cover of "READY, ACTION!" [SBS Contents Hub]
A pictorial book featuring photographs of Korean idol Kim Hyun-joong's travels in Spain will be released in Korea in mid-September, according to the book's creator SBS Contents Hub on Monday.
SBS announced that the booklet titled "READ, ACTION!" will be released in the country on September 15, while preorders for the book began on September 1 in Korea and was pre-sold in Japan last month,...More

Kim Hyun-joong to endorse THEFACESHOP2010/09/02, Source,
Korean actor and singer Kim Hyun-joong [KEYEAST]
Singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong has become the new face of Korean cosmetics brand THEFACESHOP, according to Kim's agency KEYEAST on Thursday.
KEYEAST announced through a press release that the 24-year-old heartthrob will endorse THEFACESHOP both domestically and internationally starting September through television commercials,...More

Makgeolli, Korean rice wine also known as "drunken rice" in English, has been a big hit in Japan with its consumption soaring three times this year, compared with that of a year ago.

The domestic liquor became popular among Japanese, a century after Japan annexed Korea by fo,...More

TV series "Naughty Kiss" press conference - Part 22010/08/27, Source, Kim Hyun-joong [Group 8]
Q: All the characters have unrealistic sides to them. What's your interpretation of yours?Kim Hyun-joong: As much as they're unrealistic, I think I'll be able to show more unique sides to them than I would be able to in conventional dramas. And Baek Seung-jo is a genius so he sometimes uses words that I don't usually use so I have a hard time with those. For scenes related to studying, I need to be natural with it so I actually study those parts and make sure I understand them. I'm doing the studying that I hadn't done in high school for "Naughty Kiss". (laugh),...More

SS501 Kim Hyung-joon joins Kang Ji-hwan agency2010/08/27, Source,
SS501 member Kim Hyung-joon [S-Plus Entertainment]
K-pop idol group SS501 member Kim Hyung-joon has signed with actor Kang Ji-hwan's agency S-Plus Entertainment, making him the third member of the five-man band to join a new talenthouse.
S-Plus made the announcement through a press release on Friday, saying the firm "will provide its unstinting support to Kim Hyung-joon so he may pursue his activities in all fields of entertainment including singing and acting beyond Asia",...More

Kim Hyun-joong says SS501 has not disbanded2010/08/26, Source,
Actor Kim Hyun-joong speaks during a press conference for MBC TV series "Naughty Kiss" held at the Imperial Palace hotel in Seoul, South Korea on August 26, 2010. [Lee Ki-bum/Asia Economic Daily]
Singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong has said his boy band SS501 has not disbanded, playing down rumor that its five members will go separate ways since their contract with their former agency has ended and some have signed with new management,...More

Jo Hyeon-jae to hold fan meetings in Japan and Hong Kong2010/08/17, Source,
Korean actor Jo Hyeon-jae [STARNHIT Entertainment]
Korean actor Jo Hyeon-jae will be holding fan meetings in several Asian countries this coming August, according to his agency STARNHIT Entertainment on Tuesday.
STARNHIT announced in a press release that Jo, who completed his mandatory two-year military service on June 19, will hold his first fan meeting in Osaka on August 21 and in Tokyo the next day. He will also be visiting Hong Kong and Macau the following week,...More

Kim Hyun-joong joins Bae Yong-joon for Japanese project2010/08/16, Source,
Korean actor and singer Kim Hyun-joong (left) and Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon (right) [KEYEAST]
Korean singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong will take part in a Japanese project with Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon, according to their agency KEYEAST on Monday.
KEYEAST announced in a press release that Kim will be joining Bae for the "Miso Project", aimed at helping the future of children in Asia, which was set up by Japan's Digital Adventure TV (DATV). This will be the first official event that Kim and Bae will be attending together,...More

Iconic designer André Kim passes away2010/08/13, Source,
Room where late fashion designer André Kim's wake service is being held at Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul, South Korea on August 12, 2010. [Han Youn-jong/Asia Econmic Daily]
Korea's iconic fashion designer André Kim died Thursday after having suffered from colon cancer and pneumonia. He was 74,...More

TV Stars' Fees Keep Spiraling2010/07/31, Source, TV production companies have long been complaining about the exorbitant fees charged by top stars, which drive production costs up to the point where even a hit series no longer guarantees profits for the producers. But their complaints have curbed neither the stars' demands nor the public's appetit,...More

Kim Jeong-hoon voted No.1 blogger in Japan 2010/07/27, Source,
Korean singer Kim Jeong-hoon voted No.1 blog on Japanese website Ameba blog [Ameba blog]
Korean singer and actor Kim Jeong-hoon's blog has been voted the No.1 blog in Japan by popular website Ameba Blog, according to a press release on Tuesday.
On July 26, the fifth anniversary since his debut in Japan and the tenth since his debut as a member of Korean pop group UN, Japanese fans left some 5,000 congratulatory messages on the "John-Hoon Official Blog 146" and are still posting comments,...More

Park Yong-ha still not let go by Japanese fans2010/07/21, Source,
The late Korean actor Park Yong-ha [photographed by Lee Won-woo/10Asia]Japanese fans have still not let Park Yong-ha go
"We pray for the soul of Park Yong-ha from the bottom of our hearts. We are truly grateful for your bright smile". As Japan still continues to commemorate late Korean actor Park Yong-ha who took his own life on June 30, TBS' television show "KinSma" hosted by Nakai Masahiro, the leader of popular J-pop group SMAP, featured a special one-hour episode for Park on July 9. The relationship between the actor and the show began in July 2006 when Park stepped in as a temporary emcee for "KinSma". The special episode featured interviews with Japanese celebrities who had been close to Park, including producer Tsunku who created [J-pop girl band] Morning Musume and popular emcee Utsumi Midori who is famous for her connections with Korean stars, as well as showing Park's activities in Japan. A video letter from the late actor's fan Ishibashi Etsuko, who is suffering from an incurable disease, made viewers eyes well up with tears,...More

SS501's Park Jung-min denies signing with Sony Records2010/07/05, Source,
SS501 member Park Jung-min [DSP Media]
SS501 member Park Jung-min has denied recent rumors that he had signed with Taiwan's Sony Records.
Park posted a message on his official website on Saturday, saying "I have not signed with any agency as of yet. There have been offers from several places but I have not yet given my [final] answer. I have only responded that I will talk it over with the members",...More

The death of Park Yong-ha came as a shock to everyone. Park was a well-known actor and singer in the South Korean entertainment,...More

Japanese Fans Mourn Park Yong-ha2010/07/02, Source,
Japanese fans of the Korean actor and singer Park Yong-ha, who was found dead in an apparent suicide Wednesday, are devastated, according to press reports. Tower Records in Tokyo's Shinjuku, Shibuya and other districts, set up memorial corners in their stores for Park. "Fans inquired all day long whether we had Park Yong-ha's albums", said a Tower Records spokesman.
Many fans stopped to offer their condolences at the Shibuya store, which exhibited a photograph signed by Park. The Sankei Sports reported a flood of messages on the Internet,...More

Singer and actor Park Yong-ha laid to rest2010/07/02, Source,
Actor So Ji-sub carries late actor Park Yong-ha's portrait and mortuary tablet to Park's burial site at Bundang Memorial Park in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea on July 2, 2010. [Han Youn-jong/Asia Economic Daily]
Singer and actor Park Yong-ha has been laid to rest at a private funeral attended by close family and friends.
The remains of the late star, who was cremated around noon on Friday, arrived at Bundang Memorial Park in Gyeonggi Province located south of Korea's capital of Seoul.
Actor So Ji-sub, carrying Park's portrait in his hands, led a procession of family and friends toward the burial site where song "STARS", from Park's last album, was being played in the background for the Buddhist ceremony,...More

Police announce Park Yong-ha committed suicide2010/06/30, Source,
Chief investigator Kwak Jeong-hee at Gangnam Police Station gives a briefing on singer and actor Park Yong-ha's death on June 30, 2010 in Seoul, South Korea.
Police have officially announced suicide is the cause of singer and actor Park Yong-ha's death. Park was 32.
Chief investigator Kwak Jeong-hee at Gangnam Police Station gave a briefing on Wednesday afternoon, declaring that Park died of suffocation early in the day after hanging himself from the cord of his camcorder's charger that he had hung to the top of his bedpost,...More

U-Know Yunho's "No Limit" DVD tops Oricon charts in Japan2010/06/28, Source, U-Know Yunho in a scene from TV series "No Limit" [MBC]
The newly-released DVDs for MBC TV series "No Limit", starring TVXQ leader U-Know Yunho, is selling off the shelves in Japan, according to the country's Oricon charts.
According to Oricon's weekly DVD charts for television drama category, the two DVD box sets for "Limit" were the two best-selling DVDs in the country, ranking at No.1 and No.2 for the week of June 21,...More

Lee Ji-ah graces cover of both Korea and China CeCi2010/06/24, Source,
Korean actress Lee Ji-ah on the cover of fashion magazine CeCi [CeCi]
Korean actress Lee Ji-ah has simultaneously graced the cover of the July issue of a fashion magazine in Korea and China, according to a press release from KEYEAST on Thursday.
KEYEAST announced in a press release that the July issue of CeCi and CeCi China both featured Lee on the cover page of the magazine as well as a photo spread inside,...More

Bae Yong-joon to make donation for Japanese project 2010/06/17, Source,
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon for the "Miso Project" [KEYEAST]
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon will take part in a Japanese project to help out the future of children in Asia, according to his agency KEYEAST on Thursday.
KEYEAST announced in a press release that Bae has decided on taking part in the philanthropic "Miso Project" which has been established by Japan's DATV (Digital Adventure TV),...More

"Winter Sonata" musical to open in Korea in December2010/06/16, Source,
Poster for the Japanese version of "Winter Sonata" musical [White Company]
Drama turned musical "Winter Sonata" will open in Korea in December, according to a press release from the musical's producer White Company on Wednesday.
White Company announced in a press release that the musical adaptation of the 2002 hit series "Winter Sonata" will run at Busan's Citizen's Hall from December 23 to 26 and then at the Chungmu Art Hall in Seoul from February 9 to March 6 of the following year,...More

Jo Hyeon-jae to be discharged from military on June 192010/06/16, Source,
Korean actor Jo Hyeon-jae [Star N Hit Entertainment]
Korean actor Jo Hyeon-jae will be discharged from the military on Saturday upon completing South Korea's two-year mandatory military service.
Jo's agency Star N Hit Entertainment announced in a press release that on the day of his discharge on June 19, he will hold a short meeting with about 500 fans from Japan, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan in front of his army base,...More

Choi Ji-woo attends "Africa in My Heart" exhibit with fans2010/06/14, Source,
Hallyu star Choi Ji-woo receives a thank-you award from an official at World Vision Korea. [World Vision]
Hallyu star Choi Ji-woo attended a charity photo exhibit titled "Choi Ji-woo, Africa in My Heart" with her fans over the weekend, according to global non-profit organization World Vision on Monday.
World Vision explained through a press release that the actress showed up at the exhibition on Saturday, which displayed a collection of photos from her week-long trip to Swaziland last March,...More

Kim Jong-hak to produce pan-Asian blockbuster drama2010/05/31, Source,
Korean TV production firm The ChainG Group Kim Jonghak Production (left) signs an MOU with Korea's Customs Service on May 28, 2010. [Kim Jonghak Production]
Famed television producer Kim Jong-hak is prepping to make a pan-Asian blockbuster drama about customs agents fighting various international crimes and organizations.
Kim's production company The ChainG Group Kim Jonghak Production signed an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Korea Customs Service on Friday to help develop his upcoming drama, tentatively titled "Tariff 125",...More

Bae Yong-joon promotes Korean learning with Nintendo DS2010/05/27, Source,
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon in an advertising campaign for Nintendo DS [Nintendo]
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon will be reprising his role as a virtual Korean language teacher for Nintendo DS, a popular hand-held game console created by the Japanese maker.
Bae's agency KEYEAST announced in a press release Thursday that the actor collaborated with Nintendo for the second time to follow-up on their hit software creation named "Learning Korean with Bae Yong-joon DS",...More

Local agencies eager to sign on SS501 Kim Hyun-joong 2010/05/06, Source,
SS501 member Kim Hyun-joong [Park Sung-ki/Asia Economic Daily]
Korean singer and actor Kim Hyun-joong is reportedly keeping local talent agencies on their toes as his contract nears its expiration date with DSP Entertainment next month.
The singer has become the hottest recruit in the entertainment business as he will be a free agent when his contract with agency DSP Entertainment expires on June 8,...More

[NOTICE] "Korean Wave" app available on iTunes store2010/05/03, Source, "Korean Wave", a provider of English news, interviews, reviews and analyses into the world of Korean entertainment, is now available on iTunes App store.
Readers will be able to stay up-to-date on the latest in TV, film and music, gain exclusive access to the front row and back stage of various events and festivities and get a closer look into the minds of the up-and-coming to hottest celebrities in the country at the tap of a finger,...More

KEYEAST, JYP, CJ Media team up for drama "Dream High"2010/04/14, Source,
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon and JYP CEO Park Jin-young [KEYEAST and JYP Entertainment]
Major entertainment companies KEYEAST, JYP Entertainment and CJ Media have come together to create a new TV series titled "Dream High", according to a press release by KEYEAST on Wednesday.
KEYEAST and JYP jointly established a drama production company under the name Holym which last week signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with major cable unit CJ Media in producing the series.
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon, a major shareholder of KEYEAST, and famed producer Park Jin-young, also the founder and CEO of JYP, are set to take part in directing series as well as making guest appearances,...More

Bae Yong-joon visits Tokyo for hotel launching and charity2010/04/07, Source,
Actor Bae Yong-joon [KEYEAST]
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon visited Japan for a hotel launching party and charity work this week, according to his agency KEYEAST on Wednesday.
KEYEAST said in a press release that the actor flew into Japan on Monday, although not through Tokyo Narita Airport for security reasons, to attend the opening party for the Lotte City Hotel Kinshicho, held in Tokyo the following day.
At the event, Bae is said to have gifted the new hotel with a white porcelain pot made by a Korean artist, which will later be displayed at the site,...More

Choi Ji-woo to hold autograph session in Seoul this week2010/03/23, Source,
Korean actress Choi Ji-woo [Asia Economic Daily]
Korean actress Choi Ji-woo will be holding an autograph session in Seoul on Friday, according to cosmetics brand Shiseido on Tuesday.
The actress will be meeting fans and signing autographs at a fan event, to be held at Seoul's Lotte Department Store on March 26.
The event, sponsored by Japanese cosmetics brand Shiseido which Choi endorses, will celebrate the launch of "Jiwoo Serum", a new product named after the actress,...More

Bae Yong-joon Visits Fans in Hospitals2010/03/17, Source, Bae Yong-joon visited hospitals to see his fans injured from an accident on the set of the drama "Winter Sonata".
The Hallyu star went to the hospitals to visit 30 fans who had been hospitalized. They had been injured from a sudden gust of wind while they visited the film set of the animated version of "Winter Sonata" in Jeongdongjin, Gangneung in Gangwondo province on March 12,...More

Lee Joon-ki to star in new TV series "Faith"2010/03/12, Source,
Hallyu star Lee Joon-ki in his previous TV series "Hero - Drama" [MBC]
Korean actor Lee Joon-ki will star in an upcoming historical drama tentatively titled "Faith" in English, according to his agency on Friday.
The actor will play the male lead in the drama, playing a young student of Eastern medicine who grows up be a legendary doctor during the Koryo Period.
The series will be helmed by famed Korean director Kim Jong-hak, who is known for his blockbuster scale dramas such as "The Legend" (MBC, 2007), which starred top actor Bae Yong-joon, and "Sandglass" (SBS, 1995), which scored the highest viewership ratings in local television history.,...More

Choi Ji-woo to reach out to less fortunate in Swaziland2010/03/03, Source,
Korean actress Choi Ji-woo [Asia Economic Daily]
Korean actress Choi Ji-woo will be visiting the Kingdom of Swaziland in South Africa to lend a helping hand to the less fortunate.
Documentary producer With Culture explained in a press release that Choi traveled to Swaziland for a week-long stay starting Tuesday to help install a hand pump as part of her effort to help children undergoing difficulties in the drought-stricken region.,...More

Bae Yong-joon's Keyeast profits up three-fold2010/02/16, Source,
Actor Bae Yong-joon [Asia Economic Daily]
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon's company Keyeast Co., Ltd. saw its profits surge three-fold last year, proving it is a strong player in the entertainment industry which has been hit hard by the economic downturn.
Keyeast, a provider of Korean cultural content of which Bae is a major stockholder, announced through a press release Friday that the firm posted profits worth 10.5 billion won in 2009, a 303.5 percent increase compared to the previous year.
An official at Keyeast explained that the reappraisal value of Digital Adventure (DA), worth about 10 billion won, accounted for a majority of the gain. DA, a Japanese digital contents distribution company, had merged with BOF Entertainment, another subsidiary of Keyeast in May.,...More

Bae Yong-joon to promote Korea in TV commercial2010/02/08, Source,
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon [KEYEAST]
An official television commercial featuring Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon in a Korean tourism campaign is set to air in Japan and throughout the world, according to his agency.
The actor, who last October was appointed PR ambassador to promote Korean tourism, appeared in a special commercial to promote Korea and the "2010-2012 Visit Korea Year" campaign, KEYEAST said in a press release.,...More

Bae Yong-joon, Choi Ji-woo reunite for Winter Sonata anime2010/02/01, Source,
Actor Bae Yong-joon (left) and actress Choi Ji-woo [KEYEAST]
Top Hallyu stars Bae Yong-joon and Choi Ji-woo will be reuniting as co-stars in the final scene for Japanese animation "Winter Sonata~ Another Story~", according to a press release by Bae's agency KEYEAST.
KEYEAST explained that the two actors -- who provided voice-overs for their famous fictional characters in "Another Story~"-- are set to make an actual appearance in the ending scene for the animated version of their hit TV series "Winter Sonata".
"More Japanese viewers are becoming interested in the animation with every episode", an executive at the animation production company was quoted as saying. "So the producers and actors agreed to shoot an actual [non-animation] ending scene to repay the viewers for their support of the series".,...More

Bae Yong-joon's new wine drama gets cancelled2010/01/06, Source,
Hallyu star Bae Yong-joon [Asia Economic Daily]
Hallyu star Bae Yong Joon's much-hyped drama adaptation of famed Japanese comic "Waterdrops of God" has cancelled production, according to his agency KEYEAST. KEYEAST, where Bae is one of the major shareholders, explained yesterday that they "had no choice but to cancel production of the TV series because it seemed difficult to produce the show with the current product placement (PPL) market conditions in Korea". The main reason for cancellation appears to have been Korea's strict regulations regarding PPL in television dramas. According to current regulations, specific wine brands and product names are prohibited from showing on network TV. This creates a problem in delivering the story since all the wines that appear in the original comics are authentic.,...More

Dae-sung to replace T.O.P. in new Song Ji-na drama2010/01/04, Source,
Big Bang member Dae-sung [Asia Economic Daily]
Dae-sung, member of popular boy band Big Bang, will replace T.O.P., the rapper of the same group, to star in a new TV series by famed writer Song Ji-na.
"Dae-sung will take off his acting career starting by making an appearance in 'Zero Plus'", an official at the group's agency YG Entertainment told Asia Economic Daily over the phone on Monday.
T.O.P., whose real name is Choi Seung-hyeon, had originally been tapped to play the main character but decided to withdraw from the drama due to a conflict of schedule. He had made his acting debut in 2007 drama "I Am Sam" and last appeared in hit blockbuster drama "IRIS" alongside Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-hee.,...More

Lee Joon-ki voted top Hallyu Star of 20092009/12/31, Source,
Hallyu star Lee Joon-ki [Mentor Entertainment]
Korean actor Lee Joon-ki has been voted top Hallyu Star of the year in a survey conducted by a Korean business news publication, according to a press release by his agency Mentor Entertainment on Thursday.
In a recent poll titled "2009 My Vote for Top 6 Stars of the Year", Finance and Economy News asked viewers who they thought were this year's top six entertainers in the following categories; Male idol group, Female group, Solo singer, Male actor, Female actress, Hallyu Star, Drama and Film. Each respondent was allowed to vote for one star in each category.
Results for the survey -- conducted from December 21 thru 29 -- were based on the votes cast by netizens as well as the site's Internet statistics, such as the number of times each star's news articles were read.,...More

Korean Wave Aims at New Horizons2009/10/22, Source, When Lee Eun-hye, 24, a college student went on a trip to South America she certainly didn't expect this. Every time she introduced herself as a Korean, the locals would greet her eagerly, mentioning the Korean drama "Dae Jang Geum" (En,...More

[ChanMi's star news] Bae Yong-joon hospitalized!2009/10/03, Source, Actor Bae Yong-joon had just finised the Tokyodom Event last 29th and 30th with success. However, on the 2nd of October Bae's health had to return to Korea quickly because of his health.
Bae had schedules to shoot a magazine shoot until the 4th but had to cancel because of health conditions.,...More

Korea and Japan have been at center stage when it comes to television dramas, and the Korean Broadcasting Institute has revealed the differences of the two close yet distant countries' drama production.

Various video and audio productions from capitalist countries are becoming more widely available in North Korea, with the authorities becoming more lenient on those enjoying such contents. Previously North Koreans could be subject to life-long jail terms or even ca,...More

[ChanMi's star news] Lee Ji-ah, design major!2008/10/11, Source, Lee Ji-ah is an actress who gained popularity starring with Bae Yong-joon in "The Legend" and currently acting as Du Roo-mi in "Beethoven Virus".
It is known that she majored in design! She designed her own homepage and and outfits.
She wore a dress that she designed for film festivals and even her everyday t-shirts!
Here are pictures of what she has designed including necklaces and violin case.,...More

Stars' Favorite Restaurants2008/04/03, Source, Stars don't just eat anywhere. There's something special about where they go. The places they go depend on their style, likes, and tastes. In today's Star's Life Style How Much, we'll reveal restaurants where stars go.

The stylish women who go well with wine parties. What do they eat with wine? T,...More

[Special Report] Is there a limit to the stars' guarantees?2008/02/28, Source, Recently, the Minister of Culture and Arts, Yoo In-Chun's private property was revealed to be over 14 billion-won. Some said that he had gained too much wealth, but he thinks otherwise. He said, "These are all from my 30 years of acting career. Some may think I have too much private wealth, but look,...More

According to a recent assessment by Chabul.com, CEO of JYP Entertai,...More

Stars aligning for the Year of the Rat2008/02/06, Apart from being famous worldwide, Shakespeare, Tolstoy, Al Gore and Zinedine Zidane have one other thing in common -- they were born in the Year of the Rat, according to the traditional zodiac system still widely used in Korea.

With the first day of the Lunar New Year tomorrow, rats, the first a,...More

Born in the Year of the Rat2007/12/31, Source, In the Year of the Rat, Korean pop culture is led by those born in another, in 1972. Coincidence or cosmic determination? Readers may decide for themselves. Known as the "president of culture" in the 1990s, Seo Taiji releasef his 15th anniversary,...More

More than 40,000 volunteers are in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, to help clean up after one of the wor,...More

When History Becomes Entertainment2007/12/13, Source, This year, cultural products dealing with history have been hugely popular, and TV dramas, movies, musicals and novels based on historical themes and materials lead the pack in terms of production value and sales. The three terrestrial networks are airing historical dramas at prime time, which was o,...More

Osaka Korean Film Week Begins Dec. 82007/11/30, Source, The Osaka Korean Cultural Center will hold the Korean Film Week festival again this year (Dec.8-14). Korean films introduced to the Kansai region for the first time will be screened at downtown Shinsaibashi theaters.

The event also marks the center's reopening and will feature the latest film More

"The Legend" Anmyundo set opens to residents2007/11/08, Source, The Anmyundo set of the fantasy period drama series "The Legend" opened its doors for the first time to residents. According to officials, 200 local residents were invited to the set of "The Legend" t,...More

Korea's 20-somethings Being Sidelined2007/11/07, Source, It's tough being in your 20s in Korea. With youth unemployment hovering at 7 percent for four or five years running, 20-somethings are being squeezed between hyper-energetic teens and those in their vigorous 30s. The Twens are variously described as the "No Graduation Generation" -- because students,...More

The drama production company said on the 29th, "The theatre premiere of 'The Legend' has been finaliz,...More

10 Hallyu Stars2007/10/14, Source, The Korea Times, the nation's first English daily, turns 57 on Nov. 1. The TOP 10 Series, which will feature the biggest news stories, scandals, events, figures, surprises and memorable moments in the coming weeks, in celebration of the anniversary. The series will allow our readers to revisit these,...More

The long awaited drama, "Taewangsasingi" (The Four Guardian Gods of the King, "The Legend"), starring hallyu icon Bae Yong-joon, finally met its audience on television Monday. A "Taewangsasingi Special" was,...More

'Forever, Asian Star Culture Expo In Japan' Opens in Tokyo2007/08/02, Source, The opening ceremony for the second FACE In Japan:Forever, Asian Star Culture Expo In Japan, was held in grandeur on the 1st at the Tokyo Dome City Freedom Hall. This expo is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, and the Korean National Tour,...More

The concert will feature five Korean singers, including Oh, Hyun-Ran, who sang,...More

The Ideal Young Korean Male -- Revealed2007/06/28, Source, A plastic surgeon has published a composite image of the ideal male Korean face. Rhee Seung-chul, the head of plastic surgery at Hanil General Hospital, made the image from the faces of 16 Korean Wave,...More

Why Are Korean TV Channels Hard to Find Abroad?2007/04/03, Source, More and more Koreans travel abroad, and many of them wonder why there are no cable TV channels like the BBC or CNN they can watch there in their own language. Even in Asia, where Korean soap operas are hugely popular, Korean channels are rare. Experts say exporting popular programs like ",...More

TV Producers Vow to Curb Exorbitant Fees for Stars2007/03/06, Source, TV production companies are joining hands to curb spiraling fees for acting stars, which they say take up the lion's share of production costs and damage overall quality and competitiveness. Altogether 31 production companies including KimJongHak Production, Olive Nice, Logos Film and PAN Entertainm,...More

Concert presents star's favorite music2007/03/01, Source, A concert will be held at the Saitama Super Arena near Tokyo on Saturday to mark the release of "BYJ Classics Hero", a classical music album containing music pieces selected by Korean Wave star,...More

Positive Effect of South Korean Media Claimed in North Korea2007/02/14, Source, A survey was conducted among 30 North Korean defectors who are currently living in South Korea. According to them, the North Korean government is trying to improve people's lives to anticipate possible social unrest which they suspect could be ignited by what people see in South Korean popular cultu,...More

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is poised to infuse more ener,...More

Korean Historical Soaps Upset China2007/02/05, Source, Korean historical dramas have upset Chinese authorities and Internet users alike. Chinese authorities have imposed a press embargo on "Taewangsasingi", about the Koguryo Kingdom (37BC-668AD) from the early days until King Kwanggaeto the Great, and Chinese Internet users are calling ",...More

Korean Wave Swamps N.Korean Authorities2007/02/01, Source, South Korean popular culture has become a headache for North Korean authorities, who seem unable to stem its samizdat spread there. Quoting North Korean refugees, a government official said Thursday many South Korean soap operas and movies have made their way into North Korea, and some young people,...More

Seoul to make Hallyu map to entice tourists2007/01/14, Source, Surrounded with hip-hop clubs, some Latin bars and live band clubs, Hongdae (the area around Hongik University) is a famous spot with young Koreans and foreigners, especially on weekends. This area is popular not only for those who love clubbing but also for the Korean drama ",...More

Broadcaster reach deep into history this year. From left, portrait of Tangun, Korea's mythical founding father, portrait of King Chongjo (1777-1800) and portrait of King Sejong (1418-1450), who will be depicted in epic dramas at three major networks.
The boom,...More

Actress Choi Ji-woo, popular in Japan where she is affectionately called "Ji-woo Hime", (Princess Ji-woo),,...More

Arirang Surveys Popularity of Korean Celebrities2006/12/27, Source, Thanks for staying with us.
We at Arirang just recently conducted a global survey on the popularity of Korean celebrities.
The survey in mid-December asked 775 people from 46 countries with whom they'd like to watch the first sunrise of the new year.
Topping the female chart were actresses,...More

One of the most conspicuous phenomena of 2006 was the "going-solo" trend among former boy band and girl band members. In fact, this year's K-pop scene has been crowded with what seems like an endless procession of "first solo albums".

This Week's Cultural News2006/12/01, Source, Welcome back.
On Today's Talk, we look at the week's cultural news.
This week we have an expo on Korean pop culture, a historical musical, and as always, new movie releases.
For more, our Son Heekyung joins me in the studio.

Korean wave arrives in Central, South America2006/11/27, Source, Newspapers have published reports about the recent Korean culture boom, or hallyu, sweeping over East Asian countries. Though some critics claim hallyu works only in Asia, such phenomenon, however, is not solely based on the similarity or common feelings that Asians share.

[HERALD INTERVIEW]Singer presents his version of 'Winter Sonata'2006/10/01, Source, It sounds like a cliche, but for Koreans, Japan is a country that is close yet distant. And an opportunity to present what we have to them through a performance is meaningful in itself. "It is an opportunity that was hard to pass", said Im Tae-kyeong, the lead actor of the musical version of the all,...More

Akie Abe is known to be an avid Korean Wave fan, and in keeping with her stature is a heroine with a big heart,...More

U.S. Daily Reports on Asia's Drama-fed Korea Obsession2006/09/04, Source, Leading U.S. paper the Chicago Tribune has belatedly caught on to the receding tsunami that is the Korean Wave. On the paper's Metromix website on Monday, an article titled "In Japan, a yen among women for 'Seoulmate'" took a good look at the phenomenon that is drawing infatuated Japanese women to K,...More

Korean Wave Hits Asia and Beyond2006/08/31, Source, The latest fad in Asia, and soon to hit the American shores, dubbed "Korean Wave", have sprouted growing interests in Korean males among the female counterparts in the region according to the Washington Post on August 31.

"Dasaepo Naughty Girls" ("Dasepo Girl") ( Tasepo Sonyo), an unconventional high school comedy directed by Lee Jae-young, has been invited to the prestigious 57th Berlin International Film Festiva,...More

Top star invests in domestic films2006/05/25, Source, Keyeast, a media contents investor co-established by actor Bae Yong-joon, recently signed a contract with CJ Entertainment to invest 700 million won ($730,000) in four movies produced by one of the most established movie producer/distributors,...More

The Japanese Education Ministry on Thursday said it will insert in spring next year a photo of Bae's arrival at Tokyo's Narita International Airpor,...More

'Korean Wave' Attracting Female Tourists to S.Korea2006/03/29, Source, The popularity of Korean celebrities, TV dramas and movies in Asia, is helping to bring in the foreign tourists.
A study by Korea's tourism authority shows the number of female visitors have grown at the fastest rate.
Chang Yeo-jeong has details.

Actress Son Ye-jin, who delighted fans with her hilarious portrayal of a cunning flirt in last winter's box office hit ",...More

Tide Begins to Turn on Korean Wave2006/03/07, Source, The Korean wave looks to be receding, as Japanese terrestrial TV broadcasters cut the number of Korean dramas in their programming. According to a report on the "Reality and Prospect of Korean Dramas on Japanese TV" published by Korean Broadcasting Institute on Tuesday, the number of Japanese terres,...More

Japanese-Born TV Star in 'Reverse Export'2006/02/24, Source, The Japanese-born actress Yoo Min (27) is preparing for a triumphant return her homeland via the small screen. At a press conference on Thursday, Yuko Fueki, as her birth certificate reads, confirmed she has signed a contract with the influential m,...More

Popular Korean actor Bae Yong-joon, affectionately called Yonsama by his Japanese fans, will become the biggest shareholder of a Kosdaq listed firm and start cultural contents business to take on Asian mark,...More

The concept of mankind's cultural heritage is currently changing from tangible to intangible. "Tangible cultural heritage" was defined by the UNESCO's Convention Concerning the Protection of the World's Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1972 as being "irrepl,...More

Jekyll & Hyde’ Fever Grips Korea & Japan2006/01/26, Source, Some Korean musical fans are already reserving plane and performance tickets to see their star Jo Seung-woo in a production of the musical "Jekyll & Hyde" in Tokyo and Osaka. The show tours the island country from March 13 to 24. Ticketing web,...More

How will you remember the year 2005? Perhaps more than other years, this year has been a roller coaster ride, full of many proud moments and shameful incidents.

As the year draws to a close, The Korea Times looks back on the 10 hottest culture iss,...More

A Year of Big Changes and Small Setbacks for Korean TV2005/12/27, Source, 2005 will be remembered as a year of new trends in Korea's entertainment industry. On the one hand, there were the large-scale dramas starring big names that were clearly produced with an eye on Asian markets that showed themselves receptive to the Korean wave. But equally importantly, some smaller,...More

Kwon passed the sales profit $10 million in Japan with his recent films of "The Beast" and "Cheongchun Manhwa" (the title means ",...More

Japanese Star Filmmaker Fed Up With Korean Wave2005/12/21, Source, Japanese filmmaker Shinji Aoyama, recently in Korea to attend the Seoul Independent Film Festival, has unusually strong opinions about the Korean Wave. Aoyama visited Korea on Dec. 9 to participate in the Shinji Aoyama Specials, one of events of the Seoul Independent Film Festival, where he opened u,...More

It isn't often that you get the chance to meet with and take photographs of a big star like Jennifer Lopez or local heartthrob Bae Yong-joon. So most people would jump at the chance to stand in the company o,...More

Adultery Is Secret of Dramas' Success
2005/12/02, Source, When a new drama series is about infidelity, viewers complain and say that they are sick of the subject. Yet they stay glued to the screen. Viewers criticize dramas about infidelity but they still enjoy watching them. And the more infidelity a show has, the higher its TV ratings are.

Korean Soap Operas Debut on U.S. Network TV2005/12/01, Source, "Imagine Asian TV", a 24-hour cable TV station that specializes in Asian programs as a part of Imagine Asian Entertainment, was established in June of 2004 as the first 24-hour Asian American television network in the U.S.

On November 30, 2005, Imagine Asian TV announced plans to broadcast two of,...More

Calling Bae a cultural ambassador who is enhancing his nation's image, the daily on Wednesday ci,...More

'Yonsama' to try his luck in China2005/11/01, Source, With the slightest smile or a subtle wave of the hand, "Yonsama" Bae Yong-joon may have hundreds of Japanese women fainting with lust. But China is an unpredictable land even for the "Korean Wave Prince", as he sets off next week to meet his,...More

KBS Media, an affiliate of KBS in charge of the export of KBS content, has tallied the total export volume of KBS content at 24 million dollars (about 24.2 billion won) for the period between January and September this year. Thi,...More

South Korea and its export-oriented economy seem to have found new bestsellers, thanks to "hallyu", the wave of enthusiasm for Korean pop culture sweeping Asia. Korea's cultural contents such as films, TV dramas and K-pop, have emerged as hot export commodities.

Heartthrob Bae, known by the honorific title of "Yonsama" to his Japanese fans, will visit Beijing on November 11th to promote the C,...More

Jang Dong-gun Voted Korea's Most Bankable Star2005/10/20, Source, Who is the most popular star in Chungmuro, Korea's Hollywood? The Chosun Ilbo asked the country's 12 most influential film producers, who are thought to be the most realistic in evaluating the commercial value of actors and actresses, "How many viewers do you think a movie will attract across the co,...More

Korean Wave Brings in Crowds at Pusan Film Fest2005/10/09, Source, The 10th Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) is the hottest ever, with an eye-boggling 153,000 tickets sold in the first three days of the festival. That is close to the 166,000 tickets sold during the whole of last year's festival.

Live to Busan: Pusan International Film Festival2005/10/06, Source, One of Asia's largest film events, the Pusan International Film Festival, which is simply known as PIFF, kicked off this evening in the southeastern city of Busan.
We are going to go live to Busan where our Sohn Hee-kyung is standing by.

Organizers Tighten Security at PIFF2005/10/05, Source, SEOUL (Yonhap) _ Organizers of the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF) said Tuesday they have increased security for the festival following bombings in London and Bali, Indonesia that left hundreds of people killed or injured.

Twenty security checkpoints will be installed inside and outside,...More

Son Ye-jin to star in Japanese commercials2005/09/29, Source, Actress Son Ye-jin is set to debut in Japanese TV commercials. Japanese sports dailies, including Sports Nippon and Sankei Sports, reported on Sept. 29 that Son had been cast to star in a TV commercial for the canned coffee brand "Georgia".

Pusan Film Fest Sparks Fierce Food Fight
2005/09/27, Source, As the 10-day Pusan International Film Festival got underway, so did the fight for tickets to the opening and closing films, which were reportedly going for up to 10 times the normal price.

The war for tickets has been especially intense on online auction sites, where tickets to the better-known,...More

2005 PIFF Reveals Guest List2005/09/21, Source, Now a sneak peek into, the stars that will be lighting up this year's Pusan International Film Festival. On Wednesday, the PIFF executive office revealed its draft list of some 300 guests including Jean-Jacques Annaud, the renowned French director of "The Lover" and "Seven Years in Tibet", as well a,...More

"Welcome to Dongmakgol", a film on Korean War soldiers from different sides finding refuge in a mountain village, hit the 7-million viewer mark over the Chusok holiday, becoming the fourth movi,...More

Korea Becomes Regional Plastic Surgery Hub2005/09/16, Source, An increasing number of Chinese and Japanese women head to Korea for beauty treatments and plastic surgery, encouraged by a vogue for Korean actresses among Asia's young people and a Korean pop culture boom in the region.

The much-talked about movie "April Snow" (Director Heo Jin-ho) was made public for the first time to local and foreign media members on August 23. After the preview,...More

'April Snow' sticks to Yonsama's image2005/08/25, Source, Love, betrayal and guilt are some of the feelings movies are particularly adept at conjuring, but things get tricky when the three elements are lumped together solely for one big star. How do you evoke the inner life of a deeply troubled man and his equally distressed, secret lover when what the aud,...More

The man known throughout Asia as Yonsama is back with a new movie, and once again he is standing at the center of the spotlight. Hundreds of reporters from home and abroad as well as his fans flocked yesterday to the world premiere of ",...More

Korean Values Key to Success of the Korean Wave2005/07/19, Source, SEOUL (Yonhap) _ Identification with Korean values is a major reason for "hallyu", or the Korean wave of pop cultural products that has swept through parts of Asia, South Korean scholars said Monday.

But the popularity and star power of Korean celebrities now poses a serious threat to the continu,...More

Bae Yong-joon: "I Am Feeling Well"2005/06/21, Source, Actor Bae Yong-joon's agency BOF said on June 20 that Bae, who was hospitalized on June 19 due to overexertion, is now recovering. "He was hospitalized after showing symptoms of exhaustion when he returned home after filming the final scene o,...More

Bae's agency, BOF, said on May 25 that the actor decided to hold the event to mark the publishing of Korea-Japan postal sta,...More

Quake or shine, Japanese want kimchi TV2005/05/24, Source, TOKYO - Nippon TV, a cable network for the greater Kanto area in eastern Japan, originally expected the Korean wave to end earlier this year. In part, the broadcaster was convinced of the Korean wave's staying power last October when a deadly earthquake slammed the Niigata region and a breaking news,...More

'Yonsama' Stamps to Debut May 152005/04/26, Source, SEOUL (Yonhap) - Postage stamps featuring Bae Yong-joon, a South Korean actor who has become a heartthrob for many Japanese women, will be marketed in Japan starting from May 15, according to Bae's agency on Tuesday.

Yonsama Tempers Patriotism with Reason2005/03/21, Source, Yonsama Fever Rages On Amid Korea-Japan Chill
Korean star Bae Yong-joon, or Yonsama to his many Japanese fans, has belatedly responded to a patriotic campaign asserting Korean sovereignty over the Dokdo Islets coveted by Japan. He had earlie,...More

Bae Yong-joon, a Korean actor who is popular in Japan, announced his opinion on the worsening territorial row between Korea and Japan through his official Internet Web site on Monday, after showing reluctanc,...More

SAMCHOK, Kangwon Province - The normally peaceful and quiet park Chuksoru in Samchok was crowded on Thursday with unusu,...More

Yonsama Fever Rages On Amid Korea-Japan Chill2005/03/17, Source, Oblivious to the worst crisis in Korea-Japan relations in the 40 years, the curiosity of Japanese tourists in the grip of the Korean wave continues unabated in the small east coast town of Samchok, Gangwon Province.

Over 100 Japanese tourists have been visiting Samchok a day since last month, whe,...More

Movie Theme Park Opens in Seoul2005/02/23, Source, There's a new tourist hot spot smack in the heart of Seoul. It's a mock studio where visitors can experience scenes from some of Korea's recently acclaimed films and TV dramas.

It began with the hit 1998 action film "Shiri". "JSA - Joint Security Area", followed two years later, delving into new,...More

▲ Oh Hyun-kyung, left, Byun Jung-soo, center, and Baek Ji-young are some of the celebrities who have been victims of the Internet.

One of the things the public witnessed following the leak of the,...More

368 Entertainers Boycott Ad Firm Over `X-Files'2005/01/25, Source, A total of 368 entertainers belonging to 45 talent agencies announced yesterday that they will refuse to work with Cheil Communications, the advertising firm behind the making of the controversial document dubbed "Entertainers' X-Files".

Bae Yong-joon Wows Japanese Travelers2005/01/12, Source, The January issue of the in-flight magazine of Korean Air, which features an interview with Bae Yong-joon, is being snapped up by Japanese tourists who know the star as "Yonsama".
Passengers usually leave in-flight magazines on the plane. B,...More

What is All the Fuss About?2005/01/10, Source, Korean "hallyu" stars have stolen the spotlight in the entire Asian region, including China, Japan and Taiwan. The New York Times has recently called the "hallyu" star Bae Yong-joon a "2.3 billion dollar man", and an influential Japanese week,...More

Bae Yong-joon's Japanese Homepage Hacked2004/12/26, Source, TOKYO - The official Japanese homepage of Bae Yong-joon, better known by his nickname "Yonsama" in Japan, was temporarily shut down by IMX, the operator of the site, due to a massive amount of messages defaming Bae, the Japanese media reported Sunday. According to IMX, messages slandering Bae began,...More

Three different Asian languages can be heard among the shouts of joy, as fans flash their cameras continuously at local actor Bae Yong-joon, who has captured the hearts of many women in neighboring countries,...More

It's 6:00 a.m. on November 13 in the lobby of the Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel. Over 100 Japanese women in their thirties and forties fill the lobby despite the early morning hour. They are waiting for "Dongon-sang", better known as the Korean actor Lee Dong-gun.

Untold Scandal; excellent accounts from the U.S. presses2004/10/23, Source, After 'Scandal' starring Bae Yong-joon is released with a title, called , in the United States, the movie is hearing excellent accounts from the presses in the United States such as The New York Times and The New York Daily News that it is an excellent film described the original nature of man well.,...More

Keeping the 'Korea Wave' washing onto Asian shores2004/08/26, Source, When President Roh Moo-hyun invited Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and his delegation for a luncheon meeting last September, something unexpected happened. After a moment of calm, the Vietnam officials stood up one by one and started to line up in front of a woman, asking her to sign their,...More

Untold Scandal to close Edinburgh festival2004/08/17, Source, Untold Scandal, a film adaptation of French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses set in 18th-century Korea, has been selected as the closing film of the 2004 Edinburgh International Film Festival.

One of Great Britain's most prominent festivals, Edinburgh was originally scheduled to screen Hong Kong d,...More

Creating the Hanryu Wave2004/07/20, Source, A wave of Korean celebrities, known as "Hanryu (韓流) stars", is sweeping Japan, China, and southeast Asia. This hot new trend is not the work of an odd actor or singer here and there, but the accumulated result of "unseen" efforts in marketing and PR, including the subtle "processing" o,...More

This is the current atmosphere at Choong Moo Ro (film district). According to the Bank of Korea, the movie industry's 2003 sales were some 3.7780 trillion won. This is a rapid growth with sales more than triple 1997's 1.257,...More

Surprise winner for best picture2003/12/13, Source, Director Kim Ki-duk's "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring", a quiet meditation on a Buddhist monk's quest for truth, was named the best picture of the year at the Blue Dragon Film Awards on Thursday.

"Noble Affair" Appeals to Audience 2003/10/14, Source, "Untold Scandal" premiered on October 2 and sold two million tickets in 11 days, remaining the top box office hit for two consecutive weeks. The long-term box-office record is expected as it claimed more than 60 percent of total online,...More

Bae Yong-joon | Community

- Stay on topic and do not spam.
- Emoticons are fun, but actual thoughts are appreciated.
- Refrain from abusive language.
- Post only in English, as this is an English language community.
- Do not share pages or media unrelated to the topic you are commenting on.
- Do not request or mention illegal download/streaming services.
- No graphic content allowed.
- Respect the right of other users to share their opinion. Arguments are welcome, fights are not.

Comments which break the rules will be erased. Repeated rule breaking will result in blacklisting.

Hi I'am from Philippines, you really captured my heart in the drama winter sonata,, since then i have watched almost all your movies,, you really are so gorgeous,,,, and i can feel that the character you portrayed in winter sonata and april snow,,, resembles your true character as a korean,,,, silent, mysterious, gentle, humble,,,, everything a woman would fall in love with...

i wish someday you would visit Philippines!! That's my only dream... and i also dream of receiving a message directly from you,,, even a simple hello from Bae Yong Joon,,, would really melt my heart,,,,,,

Dear Bae Yong Joon,
Rumors are everywhere. Getting in to settel down is so very easy.
He must find the right person (precious woman) who really love him not only because he is a popular actor (Yonsama), a multi millionair and a big influence in the world he can do anything he want.
Always stay healthy and happy.
Enjoy yourself while you are still you as an actor and multi millionair.
Anywhere you want to be there hope you could find your true happiness.
Wish you all the best. Good luck.

hmmnn........... jooooooooooooooooooooon!!!!hehehheh hi? well, let me intro my self so ull have an idea whose this crazy human messaging you... heheheh!!!
Im Janice..thats it... wahahahahha nothings much to say..so all of u girls are drop dead admiring joon sang huh???well, me too..hehhehe,,,, except that,, i do think of him 24 hours a day..WOW! ive never done this to an actor so,, i was smiling whenever im doing such thing about him...
Were all wondering what keeps him single when he can have any girls he wants??which im sure of that...But its just maybe he havent found yet the one hed been looking for...i wont say thats its ME hes waiting for!!!???hehehhee coz i know hes in the right state of mind not to do that!!!!hahhahhaha!!im just an ugly person enough not to pay attention..
well hope ur not bored reading this!!!hehehehh!!!xo xo!!!

Bae Yong-joon (배용준)

Subscribe to HanCinema Pure to remove ads from the website (not for episode and movie videos) for US$2.99 per month (you can cancel anytime).
The first step is to be a member, please click here : Sign up, then a subscribe button will show up.